Getting Back Into PKMN, Conflicted

[MiamiHeat305]

Alright, here's the scoop for me folks. I'm looking to get back into Pokemon because I'm craving a chill turn based RPG that I can mash while I lay on my bed and nothing beats a classic Pokemon game.

The last time I played Pokemon it was Sun and Moon for 3DS. I put it down and sold my DS because not only was I just not feeling like playing Pokemon at the time but I needed some money. I didn't necessarily dislike SuMo. It just wasn't a good time for me when I tried delving into it. Fast forward a couple years and here I am anxious to get back into the Pokeverse. However there is a problem.

I don't have a Switch or 3DS. So I am ultimately going to have to invest in one system or the other right now and I don't know which one to go for. That's where you guys come in.

My favorite Pokemon game ever is ORAS. The Dex Nav was my favorite feature in PKMN history and the game just looked so pretty. Not to mention the music was my favorite. At times it felt really easy sure, but all PKMN games are. I still find myself thinking about how I used to chill at my mentors house on his couch watch Steven Universe on the TV while packing a fat bowl and playing ORAS on my 3DS. Those were the days.

So yeah...I need help figuring out what to do here. I feel a Switch plus Sword/Shield is the move because 1. The DS is discontinued so the prices are outrageous and you can get a non outdated Switch for about just as much as a DS. 2. There are other titles I would enjoy such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 or Disgaea 6. 3. This is the newest region of Pokemon so I might as well get with the times. Those are the reasons I should probably just go for a Switch.

However there are some reasons I feel a 3DS and XY/BW/HGSS/ORAS/SUMO might be more worth it. First off there are ton of criticisms Pokefans have given Sword and Shield, one of which is that there is no National Dex. Over 800 Mon and you can only get around half of them. As someone who plays Pokemon for the collecting aspect more than diving into the lore or competitively playing it, that just doesn't sit right with me. Then there's the fact that the game is too linear and it's hallways on hallways in a 3D world you think would be less grid like. Then there's the Gigantimax B.S. which idc who you are there is no way that trumps mega evos.

So guys, help me out. What do I do? 3DS and Sun or Moon or Switch and Sword or Shield? I do feel that in the next couple Pokemon games they release for the Switch you'll be able to collectively get all 800+ Pokemon between the upcoming titles plus Sword & Shield and be able to transfer them over to Sword and Shield and vice versa, so perhaps the lack of Nat Dex is really not that big of a criticism

 

[colours]

hm. this is a lot to unpack in a sense, but moreso because i think while your concerns for getting switch + swsh are reasonable, i think they're sort of misguided

swsh aren't amazing by any means, and i know some people are going to skewer the logic of "sales don't dictate the quality of the game", which, sure, but it selling next to GSC of all games has to say something in how the general populace felt about it, regardless of online outrage. something to factor in is also the cost of DLC (if you opt to do so, which i encourage it only because the base game itself is pretty underwhelming), NSO (if you choose to trade/battle with others online), as well as pokemon Home for storage. i think, for collectors at least, getting some sort of cloud storage is better than nothing so it's something to consider if it's worth fitting into your budget. if you're aiming for a living dex, then i believe (others may correct me, here) Home is mandatory. if you're a casual collector, the in-game box system might suffice if you're happy with about 30 boxes worth of space.

the argument for getting a switch isn't just swsh, however. it's the subsequent games that come out afterwards. you want to get back into pokemon, then i think of no better way to do than to play pokemon when others are doing it! i know for me at least, it's incredibly motivating and the reason why i sunk like 800 hours into swsh because i was playing when everyone else was and us hatching shiny pokemon via eggs or generally exploring around crown tundra and talking about it was fun. i think (again, my opinion) that's the best kind of experience pokemon gaming can offer -- connections with other people who are enjoying it and playing through it as you are -- so you can really feel motivated to pick it up and play it more.

for (3)DS games, they've lost that kind of magic to me. i might replay them every once in a blue moon for nostalgia reasons and so i'm not out of touch with what the gameplay is like, and there may be some magic to it in the beginning, but i dont think it's going to beat the very first time i've really played/beaten the game. at least with swsh, since it's the most "recent" (as far as released main series pokemon games go) pokemon game, i can pick it up where i left off and do some mindless things like shiny hunt or max raid battles or whatever.

and yes, i understand you're not exactly a fan of dynamax which is kind of the core of what swsh revolves around. i don't exactly have a good response to that. if you can dislike it but bear with it, then i think swsh are still worth going for. if dynamaxing is an absolute dealbreaker, then you may be better off waiting for brilliant diamond/shining pearl later this year, making a very big assumption that those games don't incorporate dynamax in some fashion (which, who knows at this point).

 

[MiamiHeat305]

hm. this is a lot to unpack in a sense, but moreso because i think while your concerns for getting switch + swsh are reasonable, i think they're sort of misguided

swsh aren't amazing by any means, and i know some people are going to skewer the logic of "sales don't dictate the quality of the game", which, sure, but it selling next to GSC of all games has to say something in how the general populace felt about it, regardless of online outrage. something to factor in is also the cost of DLC (if you opt to do so, which i encourage it only because the base game itself is pretty underwhelming), NSO (if you choose to trade/battle with others online), as well as pokemon Home for storage. i think, for collectors at least, getting some sort of cloud storage is better than nothing so it's something to consider if it's worth fitting into your budget. if you're aiming for a living dex, then i believe (others may correct me, here) Home is mandatory. if you're a casual collector, the in-game box system might suffice if you're happy with about 30 boxes worth of space.

the argument for getting a switch isn't just swsh, however. it's the subsequent games that come out afterwards. you want to get back into pokemon, then i think of no better way to do than to play pokemon when others are doing it! i know for me at least, it's incredibly motivating and the reason why i sunk like 800 hours into swsh because i was playing when everyone else was and us hatching shiny pokemon via eggs or generally exploring around crown tundra and talking about it was fun. i think (again, my opinion) that's the best kind of experience pokemon gaming can offer -- connections with other people who are enjoying it and playing through it as you are -- so you can really feel motivated to pick it up and play it more.

for (3)DS games, they've lost that kind of magic to me. i might replay them every once in a blue moon for nostalgia reasons and so i'm not out of touch with what the gameplay is like, and there may be some magic to it in the beginning, but i dont think it's going to beat the very first time i've really played/beaten the game. at least with swsh, since it's the most "recent" (as far as released main series pokemon games go) pokemon game, i can pick it up where i left off and do some mindless things like shiny hunt or max raid battles or whatever.

and yes, i understand you're not exactly a fan of dynamax which is kind of the core of what swsh revolves around. i don't exactly have a good response to that. if you can dislike it but bear with it, then i think swsh are still worth going for. if dynamaxing is an absolute dealbreaker, then you may be better off waiting for brilliant diamond/shining pearl later this year, making a very big assumption that those games don't incorporate dynamax in some fashion (which, who knows at this point).

Thank you so much for the fruitful advice my friend. I will be taking all of what you said into consideration when I make my decision.

 

[Figure]

I think you would be disppointed in the long run if you didn't get a Switch because of the games coming out. It is also pretty expensive trying to get older DS Pokemon games where you can just run them on an emulator. Keep in mind though, Legends Arceus may not run well on the current Switch as there is a lot of speculation that the new Switch will be announced soon and released around the time Legends Arceus comes out.

 

[MiamiHeat305]

I think you would be disppointed in the long run if you didn't get a Switch because of the games coming out. It is also pretty expensive trying to get older DS Pokemon games where you can just run them on an emulator. Keep in mind though, Legends Arceus may not run well on the current Switch as there is a lot of speculation that the new Switch will be announced soon and released around the time Legends Arceus comes out.

Ngl, the fact that Legends Arceus might not be playable on the current Switch model worries me but at the same time it doesn't because I'm not so hyped for that game. I never really wanted an open world Pokemon game. The current formula works fine for me. If it ain't broke...

 

[ReKoil]

Hmmmm.... Sun/Moon & USUM were nice games.
But I think with the games available to it the Switch might be better. There's Sw/Sh, and I'd highly recommend getting the expansion pass if you do pick one of these up. There's new legendaries, you can catch a Keldeo, catch all the fossil mons (other than the gen4 fossils) in the wild in apriballs, and the Dynamax Adventures are a colossal time waste lol. I have spent a lot of time there, not even necessarily to catch the legendaries/UB's. The mons there have a 1 in 300 chance of being shiny by default, and 1 in 100 if you have the shiny charm, so I often go there just to see if I get lucky ^.^

The switch also has LGPE, which is really not that great tbh, but it gets you access to the gen 1 mons not in SW/SH, and was okay enough to me to warrant buying a copy.
BDSP & Legends Arceus are upcoming too as already mentioned.

The switch also has a bunch of pokemon related spin-off games if you're into those. Such as Pokkén Tournament DX and New Pokemon Snap.

 

[Corveone]

If you want to play for the collecting aspect, and don't like Dynamax, US/UM is the better option since at least via trade you can complete the full Pokédex up to Gen 7.

But in the long run, a Switch will be likely the best option because even if you don't like Sw/Sh, there will be more games coming and more options you can potentially enjoy. With the 3DS you'll be basically stuck with what there is, and that's all. And Dynamax will be probably just another gen-exclusive gimmick that will get replaced with something else (hopefully something not even worse)

 

[Pokedream.su]

Get a switch for other games, like Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing, or New Pokemon Snap. Buy one of the games at a discount (you can get them for like $45 if you look in the right places) and then a few years down the line, buy an expansion pass cartridge when they fall off in price.

You can get a 3DS for like $60 right now and I have bought sun and moon for literally $10, the 3DS is also a solid emulation device for older games, you can get them for cheap before Nintendo discontinues the online store.

 

[Figure]

Ngl, the fact that Legends Arceus might not be playable on the current Switch model worries me but at the same time it doesn't because I'm not so hyped for that game. I never really wanted an open world Pokemon game. The current formula works fine for me. If it ain't broke...

Unite is also something coming to Switch, not sure if you have any interest in that though, New Snap is a good time as well.

 

[MiamiHeat305]

Hmmmm.... Sun/Moon & USUM were nice games.
But I think with the games available to it the Switch might be better. There's Sw/Sh, and I'd highly recommend getting the expansion pass if you do pick one of these up. There's new legendaries, you can catch a Keldeo, catch all the fossil mons (other than the gen4 fossils) in the wild in apriballs, and the Dynamax Adventures are a colossal time waste lol. I have spent a lot of time there, not even necessarily to catch the legendaries/UB's. The mons there have a 1 in 300 chance of being shiny by default, and 1 in 100 if you have the shiny charm, so I often go there just to see if I get lucky ^.^

The switch also has LGPE, which is really not that great tbh, but it gets you access to the gen 1 mons not in SW/SH, and was okay enough to me to warrant buying a copy.
BDSP & Legends Arceus are upcoming too as already mentioned.

The switch also has a bunch of pokemon related spin-off games if you're into those. Such as Pokkén Tournament DX and New Pokemon Snap.

The Switch appears to be a really fun looking console with some great titles for it but I've done extensive research and PKMN SwSh really does look like a letdown. I don't really want a Switch if I can't play a good Pokemon title. I'm fully aware there are other good RPGs for it like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 and Fire Emblem 3 Houses but Pokemon is the main draw for me and as you said Sun and Moon were good games. If not good games at least average. And Sword and Shield appear to be a notch below average. I'll wait until Nintendo drops a Pokemon collection with all the previous installments merged into one for the Switch before caving in on buying the console. Assuming they do that, that is. I hope they do.

If you want to play for the collecting aspect, and don't like Dynamax, US/UM is the better option since at least via trade you can complete the full Pokédex up to Gen 7.

But in the long run, a Switch will be likely the best option because even if you don't like Sw/Sh, there will be more games coming and more options you can potentially enjoy. With the 3DS you'll be basically stuck with what there is, and that's all. And Dynamax will be probably just another gen-exclusive gimmick that will get replaced with something else (hopefully something not even worse)

Your comment echoes why I feel I'm stuck at a crossroad that I'll stay at until Nintendo either drops a Pokemon collection for the Switch or a spectacular Pokemon game where you can get all 800 plus Mon with rock solid postgame. On one hand I want to get a 3DS to play all the good DS&GBA Pokemon titles but the console is becoming more obsolete by the minute and Nintendo will soon shut down the online servers for all those games. Not all Pokemon games age well aesthetically either and that doesn't help. On the other hand I want to get a Switch because that's how I can play the most up to date Pokemon title but the most up to date Pokemon title SwSh appears to be a pile of trash for the most part. So I'm just gonna have to pray Nintendo drops a Pokemon collection for the Switch or an AAA Pokemon title that has every Pokemon obtainable parlayed with extensive story and post game

Get a switch for other games, like Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing, or New Pokemon Snap. Buy one of the games at a discount (you can get them for like $45 if you look in the right places) and then a few years down the line, buy an expansion pass cartridge when they fall off in price.

You can get a 3DS for like $60 right now and I have bought sun and moon for literally $10, the 3DS is also a solid emulation device for older games, you can get them for cheap before Nintendo discontinues the online store.

WHERE ON EARTH CAN I GET A 3DS FOR 60 BUCKS?!!!??!

Unite is also something coming to Switch, not sure if you have any interest in that though, New Snap is a good time as well.

I'll look into Unite. The Snap reboot looks beautiful but taking pictures of things isn't exactly my idea of a good time. That's just me. I've always acknowledged the O.G. Snap game as one of the greatest spin offs in video game history but it's simply not my cup of tea

 

[Pokedream.su]

WHERE ON EARTH CAN I GET A 3DS FOR 60 BUCKS?!!!??!

Pawn Shops, ebay, facebook market place.
A lot of proper game store still have the price at over $100, but even there you can find like $80 2DSs.

The only thing that hasn't dropped is the New 3DS/2DS, I think that's going to be the Gameboy AGS 101 of the DS generation.

 

[MiamiHeat305]

Pawn Shops, ebay, facebook market place.
A lot of proper game store still have the price at over $100, but even there you can find like $80 2DSs.

The only thing that hasn't dropped is the New 3DS/2DS, I think that's going to be the Gameboy AGS 101 of the DS generation.

Thank you. I'll keep my eyes peeled. Do you think there's any chance they drop a Pokemon collection for the Switch? If you do I would probably be wasting my time buying a 3DS at this point

 

[Pokedream.su]

Thank you. I'll keep my eyes peeled. Do you think there's any chance they drop a Pokemon collection for the Switch? If you do I would probably be wasting my time buying a 3DS at this point

They tried to do this on the Wii U and it wasn't that successful, Nintendo has actually said that they aren't doing emulation of old games like they did for the 3DS and Wii U again, they will have cloud based games in their arcade collection that you get when you pay for Nintendo Online.

They might change their mind however in whatever is the next consol.

 

[MiamiHeat305]

They tried to do this on the Wii U and it wasn't that successful, Nintendo has actually said that they aren't doing emulation of old games like they did for the 3DS and Wii U again, they will have cloud based games in their arcade collection that you get when you pay for Nintendo Online.

They might change their mind however in whatever is the next consol.

That's really depressing. I don't see myself getting back into Pokemon now